The Last Bloodbender
by Color With Marker
Summary: After Aang becomes the Avatar and the world is at peace, Katara decides to go out and get her revenge on all of her enemies during the full moon.
1. Azula

Katara stood on top of the hill and took a deep breath. The world was hers, or, technically, Aang's, and now she had complete control of it. She could do whatever she wanted on the nights where there were full moons. Hama was probably gone now, but the life lesson that she had taught Katara was promising. Now after the war had ended, Katara had the power to take advantage of whoever she wanted. She pulled out a scroll, on which had the names of all of her enemies. Some of them were crossed, but others were still listed. She would not fail at making sure all of her enemies would pay for what they had done to her. Katara took a deep breath and stared at the wooden figures of her enemies. She sucked all of the water out of the grass within a thirty meter perimeter of where she stood and made it into a ball. She then released it at the posts in frozen icicle daggers. Every wooden figure was hit, and it satisfied Katara. But not as much as the feeling of her foes actually being tortured would make her any more satisfied. She took off down the hill, prepared to finally have her own revenge.

* * *

><p>Azula sat up in her lonely metal cell in Fire Nation Prison. The Boiling Rock wouldn't accept the Fire Nation Princess. Being a Firebending prodigy and one of the most mentally unstable people on the planet, they wouldn't want her there, in case she attempted to murder all of them. The past year had been rough since losing an Agni Kai to her brother, Fire Lord Zuko of the Fire Nation. She had been chained down by Katara and began breathing out blue fire as she wept uncontrollably from her embarassing defeat. Azula had no visitors whatsoever, but just the prison guards who brought her small portions of food and water about three times per day. Now that there was peace in the Fire Nation, there was rarely any new prisoners, or any worth having life sentences, such as herself and her father, Ozai. She hated not being able to be clean, having little strength, and wearing the same red jaded dress and pants day after day, but it was better than having to see and hear people mock her in front of her for failing the Fire Nation, and her own father. She was what she feared most in the world- imperfect.<p>

"Hey!" the muffled sound of a female guard cried. "What are you doing? AH! Help!" Azula perked up at this. She missed hearing the cries of the weak and suffering, and even though she wan't the one causing this newfound pain, she was glad that the sound of it was audible enough for her to hear in her lonely metal cell.

"What's going on?" a male guard's voice echoed through the chambers. "What's happening to me?"

"Ow! What are you doing to me?"

"I'm not doing anything! Something is controlling me!" Azula heard the sounds of muffled fighting, and soon nothing.

"Hello?" Azula asked weakly. She heard nothing but faint footsteps. The grew louder, and Azula knew somehow that they were heading right for her. She stood up and got into a fighting stance.

"If it's you, Zuzu," Azula threatened, "Then I challenge you to another Agni Kai!"

"Why would you say that?" a new, familiar voice asked. Azula's eyes widened as she heard the jingling of keys and the door open to reveal the person.

"Especially since you lost last time," Katara said, smiling.

"You!" Azula cried. "You're the one who put me in here!" Azula was about to shoot a fireball at the Waterbender but was stuck. Her arm was shaking uncontrollably, and suddenly, she was standing straight up, her arms and legs close together. She struggled to move at all, and Katara stood there, smiling as she held her hand vertically in front of her face.

"What are you doing?" Azula spat.

"A new technique I learned when I visited the Fire Nation," Katara answered. "An old woman taught me, and her purpose was to get revenge on the entire Fire Nation. And if you look outside, you'll notice the full moon." Azula looked outside to see that it was a full moon outside.

"So?" she asked.

"It's the last time you'll ever see it," Katara hissed before unlocking Azula's cell. She swatted her hand across her face, and Azula went flying into the solid brick wall in front of her at full force. She hit it with a loud crack and cried out in pain as blood came gushing out from her nose and mouth.

"Why are you doing this?" she asked, fighting back tears. "Haven't you and you're friends gotten their revenge on me already?"

"No," Katara responded. "They may have gotten their revenge, but I haven't. At least not yet." Katara swatted her hand and Azula went flying towards another wall. The Firebendinng prodigy had no control, while a Waterbending prodigy was being created out of the shadows of the darkness in her soul.

* * *

><p>"Do you want to hear a story?" Katara asked Azula as she pushed Azula's body through the forest she had onced camped out in.<p>

"Not if it's about your pitiful Waterbending," Azula replied.

"It's not all Waterbending exactly," Katara laughed. "There used to be an old woman named Hama, a Waterbender, who lived in the South Pole. The Fire Nation attacked her village for many days, and eventually, the soldiers got Hama. She lived in a metal cage, far from any water, and had to be tied up before given any water to drink. She taught herself that where there was life, there was water, and used that to escape the Fire Nation's clutches."

"What does that story have to do with anything?" Azula yawned.

"This is where it gets better," Katara said. "She lived among the Fire Nation peacefully as the innkeeper, and whenever there was a full moon, she would lure unsuspecting Fire Nation people into the forest and into a secret trap of hers. A group of kids came across her and discovered that she was a Waterbender, but never knew that she was more than just a simple old Waterbender. She taught one of the kids eveything she knew, and one night, she taught her the secret behind her bending skills, passing on her skill to the girl. That girl was me, this is the forest, and that skill is what we call Bloodbending."

"Bloodbending?" Azula asked.

"That's right," Katara answered. "And boy, was Hama right. Her enemies had to suffer for what they did to her, and so do mine." Katara pushed the helpless Azula down a tunnel in a mountain.

"This is murderous!" Azula cried. "You cannot do this!"

"Oh, but I can," Katara hissed. "And only if I could have some fire right now..." Katara used her free hand to move Azula's left hand open with her palm up. She forced a small blue flame to come out of it.

"How...?"

"I always what Firebending felt like," Katara said in awe. "It's cold and bitter, just like its people."

"You're just going to leave me in here to rot, aren't you?" Azula snapped.

"Nonsense," Katara laughed. "I left you some company as well." Katara made Azula open the door to the underground chamber beneath the mountain. Azula gasped when she saw the Dai Li, chained up by their hands and feet by metal cuffs to the walls.

"How did you get them?" Azula whispered.

"Wasn't that tricky," Katara answered. She forced Azula against the wall and began chaining her up.

"Why haven't you fools escaped her?" Azula shouted at the Dai Li. "You're Earthbenders, and you're surrounded by earth!"

"She broke our hands and feet!" one of the men cried.

"We cannot bend anything!" another man cried.

"This is outrageous!" Azula told Katara once her hands and feet were bound. "Someone will find us and set us free! And when they do-"

"When they find you, they won't rescue you because you are a monster," Katara interrupted. "And no one will be able to hear you because they are still afraid of here." Katara turned and walked away.

"My brother would save me!" Azula cried. "The Avatar would save me!"

"The only thing they would do is kill you," Katara responded, waving off the princess carelessly. "No one would care enough to want to help a mentally unstable person like you."

"It's better than being a sociopath like you!" Azula spat. Katara let out a low, dangerous, scary laugh.

"That's between you and me," she hissed.


	2. Ozai

As night approached, Katara sat up in her bed. Aang was lying next to her, out-cold and snoozing. He didn't seem to notice that she woke up and left the bed, just like last time. Katara went into her closet and searched for clothes. She put on a hooded brown dress that covered her Water Nation outfit. A rope was used to tie back her long hair. She put worn down shoes on her feet that made it easier for her to walk through the woods, or run, if necessary. She slipped out of the Fire Nation castle and ran down the cobbleroad streets. Every house had no light glowing out the windows, a good sign that everyone was asleep. She ran out of the Fire Nation capital and slid down the side of the dormant volcano. Tonight, she had another victim to catch. This time, she was going to be the tormentor, and she would get even more revenge.

* * *

><p>Katara walked down the dirt path towards the Fire Nation prison, prepared to do her worse to one of her worse enemies ever. She had waited a month for the next full moon with undeniable excitement. None of the others had heard word of the disappearance of Princess Azula. Every so often, Katara's humane side took over and had her bring food and water to Azula and the Dai Li, so they wouldn't end up dead, or worse, escape. They seemed scared yet grateful that she would hold up cups of water and chunks of fruit or bread to them as they ate greedily, glad that they weren't going to starve to death. None of them had enough of a voice to say anything to her clearly, but the rage and hate in Azula's eyes made it very clear that she wanted to burn Katara to death, or shoot lightning bolts through the Waterbender's heart.<p>

Katara ducked behind a lone bush nearby the prison, watching the two guard who were on the outside. They were different guards from last time, and they all seemed the same to her. Cold, heartless men who wanted to use their fire to prevent her from bending ever again. The first time she was ever burned was when Aang had accidentally hurt her when first Firebending. She wasn't mad at him though; it was how she discovered that she had healing abilities. But the many others who could bend fire and tried to murder her and thousands of other were all monsters in her eyes. She hadn't realized it, but she sounded just like Hama. Katara took one step forward and accidentally stepped on a twig. The two men looked up in the direction Katara was in, but the darkness kept her well hidden.

"Who's there?" one man shouted.

"We're Firebenders, and we won't be afraid to use our bending on you!" the other called out. Rage filled Katara as she sucked the water out of the bush. She released it onto the unsuspecting guards and froze it. They had become trapped in a frozen block of ice, unable to move or most likely breathe. Katara didn't mind that much. She sucked the water out of the few trees nearby and had the water cover her arms as her own personal weapon. She wasn't going to use her Bloodbending skills until she reached her target. For now, actual water was good enough. She ran inside the prison and down the corridors. When she reached the room that she wanted, she discovered two guards there as well.

"Hey!" One of them shot a fireball at Katara, but she used her water to drench it out. She then shot the water at the guard who shot the fire, pinning him to the wall with a thick layer of ice. The other watched in fear, but didn't react in time before Katara did the same to him. Their heads hit the wall so hard that they were instantly unconscious. Katara smirked as she opened the door to the prison cell.

"Hello, Pheonix King," she greeted coolly. "Or, should I say, _ex_-Fire Lord Ozai."

"Who are you?" Ozai asked in a raspy, menacing voice.

"Don't you remember me?" Katara asked. "Oh, wait, that's right, we haven't formally met." She approached his cell and stuck her hand through the bars. "My name is Katara, and I'm from the Southern Water Tribe. You know, the girl who found the Avatar, who destroyed you and took away your bending about thirteen months ago."

"Oh, _you_." Ozai slapped her hand away weakly. Katara pulled her hand out of the cell calmly.

"Do you know why I am here?"

"I suppose you're going to tell me how much I ruined your life, and that my son is a better Fire Lord than I ever was," Ozai guessed. "If so, than Zuko has already beaten you to the punch."

"I'm not here to do that," Katara said quietly. She let out a low, dangerous laugh. "But I will tell you that I'm breaking you out of here."

"What?" Ozai asked in disbelief. He moved onto his knees and grasped the bars of his cell, looking at Katara with hope in his eyes. "_You_ are going to try to break me out? After I try to destroy the world and make it a better place, you are going to free me from this prison cell? No strings attached?"

"Nope." Katara reached into the pocket of her dress and pulled out cell keys.

"Do the guards know that you have those?" Ozai asked as Katara unlocked the cage.

"I took them about one month ago," Katara admitted. "But that's another story that I'll share with you later." She opened the cage door, and Ozai crawled out, shocked that he was able to step outside of his lonely cell for the first time in over one year.

"Why... I don't know what to say," he said, still trying to figure out Katara's game. She just had a pleasant look in her eyes that easily tricked him.

"You don't have to do a thing," Katara said simply, smiling. "But it's not like you have a choice now, anyways."

"What?" Ozai asked, confused. Katara grinned as she held her hand vertically above her face. Ozai's limbs trembled as they suddenly forced him to stand straight with him hands stuck to his side. She kept her hand straight as she moved it towards the ground, Ozai moving with it.

"Now, it's my turn to take control," Katara told him. She swiped her hand against the ground, causing Ozai to slam into the brick wall. He howled in pain as Katara forced him to stand straight up again.

"Wh-what is this?" Ozai asked nervously. "What are you d-doing to me?"

Katara smirked at his fear. "Bloodbending."

* * *

><p>Katara pushed Ozai through the hole in the mountain. She was using one hand to control the ex-Fire Lord, while the other was carrying a lantern to light up the dark tunnel. Ozai hadn't spoke up much, unless Katara purposely rammed him into something nearby and he cried out with pain and rage. He hadn't felt this powerless since the Avatar had taken away his bending wtih Energybending, something he didn't know existed until then. Katara kept on leading Ozai through the tunnel until they reached an opened door. Ozai looked in horror to see the Dai Li and his very own daughter chained to the wall. They were all in ragged clothes and had pale, thin bodies. They all stared at him with lost expressions. Azula didn't even react as Katara chained her father to the wall by his wrists and ankles.<p>

"How is this happening?" Ozai asked the Waterbender. "You fools! You could attack her!"

"She broke our hands and feet!" one of the Dai Li cried. "We can't bend anything!"

"Father, I'm too sick to do anything," Azula insisted. "I have no energy anymore-"

"You coward!" Ozai spat. "All of you! You are all shameful!" Azula hung her head in shame at the words her father had spoked. She felt as of she was Zuko, and how he was considered shameful ad an embarassment back before the Avatar had been discovered in the iceberg.

"I'll be back in the morning with leftovers from my breakfast," Katara said coldly as she exited the cave. "Don't you try anything. It's not like you actually _can_." With that, she walked back home to the palace. She took the scroll and pen from her pocket and unrolled the scroll. With the pen, she crossed off Ozai from her list. She tucked it away and began running back, praying she'd make it before the sun rose.

* * *

><p>Breakfast the next morning was very awkward for Katara. She sat next to Aang, who was at the end of the long table. At the other end was Zuko. Next to Katara was Toph. Across from them were Iroh, Sokka, and Suki. Everyone was eating their eggs, fruit, and bread in silence, which was unusual, since they all had a strange dream to share in the morning, or Sokka had come up with a new corny oke overnight that impressed everyone. Suddenly, a guard ran into the room, his face red and gasping for air.<p>

"Is everything alright, Li?" Iroh asked in his usual concerned tone.

"Sir, there's been a problem involving your family for a while," Li replied.

"Who in my family exactly?" Zuko asked.

"Your father and sister, Fire Lord Zuko." Zuko dropped the fork he was holind. It bounced off of his plate and onto the floor. A servant rushed over and picked it up, wiping it off on the cloth on her belt.

"What about Ozai and Azula?" Iroh asked. Zuko was still too stunned to say anything.

"They have vanished," Li said.

"What do you mean by 'vanished'?" Toph asked, looking straight ahead of her blindli, like always,

"One of the guards said that a hooded figure attacked them last night and knocked them unconscious," Li explained. "Apparently, it wasn't the first time, either. One month ago, the person took Azula. Last night, they took Ozai. No one is able to track down either of them, but it's obvious someone helped them escape."

"This is bad!" Suki cried. "How can no one find them?"

"They're the most malicious people in the world," Katara spoke up, her composure kept calmly. "They are also sly, clever, and very sinister. They probably went to another part of the world where no one would think to look for them."

"Katara is right," Aang agreed. "Maybe they went to the North Pole. No one would expect to find a Firebender there, that's for sure."

"Finding a person with amber eyes and pale skin among dark-toned, brown-eyed people shouldn't be too difficult," Sokka pointed out.

"Rally up the best hunters in the Fire Nation and send them out to find my father and sister," Zuko ordered Li. "When they are found, send them to the Boiling Rock, and make sure they never escape again!" Li nodded and bowed before leaving the room.

"That was strange," Aang spoke up. "How could they escape?"

"I think the bigger question it _who_ would let them escape," Toph said pointedly. "They are two of the most hated people ever."

"Every enemy has an ally," Iroh contradicted.

"Hopefully, something bad happened to them," Katara said as she took a bite out of a strawberry.

"Katara, how can you say that?" Suki asked.

"Because after they everything they've done, someone must have taken it so personally that they went out and got revenge on them," Katara said. "You never know how bad they may have hurt someone."

"They hurt us all," Aang said. "But don't worry, they will be recaptured and put in prison where they belong."

_Don't keep your fingers crossed_, Katara thought as she took a long sip of jade tea. She already knew that none of the others would ever suspect that she was the one who was causing all of the trouble. After all, she was the sweet little Waterbender from the Southern Water Tribe who only cared about hope, according to everyone. Who would think that she would ever hurt a fly, let alone a person?


	3. Yon Rha

"Yon Rha! Yon Rha!" the elderly woman barked at her son. She watched as he moped into the kitchen, his head hung low. His long grey hair seemed as if a wet mop were on top of his head, with sideburns running down the sides of his face to his jawline. His body was pale, long and scrawny from head to toe, with dozens of wrinkles defining his aging face. After sixty-six years, he still lived with his sick mother, who had no teeth nor heart towards her son. They shared that same dark, gloomy amber eyes and the same darkness inside of them, but he was a working man, while she was a sitting old hag, demanding for her son to do whatever she ordered the way she wanted it- no exceptions.

"Yes, ma?" he asked in a hoarse moan.

"What have I told you about your stupid garden?" she snapped. She reached for the basket on the table, holding it out to her son. Inside it was various fruits and vegetables, such as tomato-carrots and banana-apples.

"I spend countless hours working on that garden, growing some of the best fresh foods that the fire nation has to offer," Yon Rha said calmly. "I want you to experience the freshness that it has to offer, so that even in your old age, you can see that after so many years that you have lived, you can experience one more day with the gratitude your only son offers. I wish for it to brighten your day, and hopefully help you live for another waking morning."

"Shut up!" Yon Rha's mother chucked a pepper-eggplant at her son's head. It hit him on the forehead, bouncing onto the floor and rolling under a chair. Yon Rha sighed as he bent down to pick up the vegetable.

"I'll just go wash this off..." he began.

"Don't even bother!" his mother spat. "If that vegetable was any good, it would have broken and splattered all over your face, not roll around on the ground as if it were a damn ball that you used to kick around the courtyard! All of these are no good at all!" The hag threw the basket onto the ground with all of her strength. The food rolled around on the floor, and Yon Rha just stared at them, knowing better than to try to protest. Fighting was never any good for him, silence being the only safe route in any of their arguments.

"Would you like me to head to the market, ma?" Yon Rha offered as politely as he could. His mother's face conjured into a wrinkly smile.

"Why, it's about time," she began, before becoming visibly angry again. "You finally got some sense into your head!" She thumped her son on the back of the head, and he stared at the floor, trying to not react to her obnoxious behavior.

"Would you like some tomato-carrots?" Yon Rha asked in great defeat.

"That's the only thing my teeth can chew on!" The woman beared her three rotting teeth, signalling to Yon Rha that he needed to get the food much quicker than she wanted him to. He grabbed the basket off of the bamboo floors and shuffled quickly out of the house. His feet trudged along the dirt road, the howls of the Wolfbats echoing in the wind as dusk slowly fell upon Yon Rha. The full moon rose into the sky, an aura of calmness glowing around the glory of the Princess of the North Pole, Yue. He gulped nervously as he began running faster towards the village, still afraid of the last time he felt he was being stalked. It had been fourteen months since then, so why was he still living in the constant fear that he would be under attack at any given moment?

* * *

><p>Katara perched on top of a banana-apple tree, waiting patiently for her prey to come lurking by her position. After she left the Southern Raiders ex-Captain alone over a year ago, she felt the immediate resentment for being unable to take down the evil man herself. She knew that Aang and Sokka, and even Zuko, would have most likely never forgiven her for what she was doing to so many seemingly innocent people in her life. Why should she have to be okay with the fact that so many people tried to tear her life to shreds without a single last thought about the consequences, or glimmer of regret in their eyes? They even went out of their ways to make <em>her<em> life a living hell, and didn't care one little bit, either. Azula, princess of the Fire Nation, had shot lightning bolts through her older brother, and all she did was cackle and attempted to do the same thing to Katara. She even electrocuted Aang right before her eyes, and Iroh was the reason why she was able to help him; otherwise, they'd all be dead now. The Dai Li pretended to be the great protective warriors they were destined to be, only to turn their backs on the Earth Kingdom and to follow the orders of the greedy Fire Nation princess and her two allies- friends didn't seem fitting at all- and attempted to kill the entire gang without any form of remorse in the end. And then there was Yon Rha, the Captain of the Southern Raiders when Katara was just a younger girl. He took her mother away from her life, killing her because she was trying to protect Katara from the definite fate. Had she known what was really going to happen, Katara would have owned up to the fact that she was the true last Water Bender of the Southern Water Tribe and take the fate she was destined to receive. But Kya stepped in front of her, a motherly instinct. Now, as her duty, Katara needed to avenge her mother.

Yon Rha walked by rather quickly for a sixty-six-year-old man, as if he was afraid that a Sabertooth Mooselion was chasing after him. Katara narrowed her eyes on the old man and stood up on the branch, steadying herself and staying well balanced with her weight. She ran across the branch to the very end and jumped to the next one, staying perfectly concealed. Yon Rha didn't seem to take notice as Katara continued running from branch to branch, jumping in a perfect viewing distance, even in the night, chasing after the frightened man. Eventually, he stopped and took a deep breath, before turning and shooting a Fireball at the tree Katara had just jumped from. She looked back to watch as the tree became engulfed in flames, creating the light that she had been needing to attack the old man. She swung down the branches until her feet hit the ground, letting Yon Rha see her for the first time.

"What the- you!" he cried. He steadied himself to throw another Fireball. Just as he began, he froze in his position unwillingly. Every limb began trembling greatly, and he lost all control over what he was doing. His body shot up into the perfect standing position, as if he was in Fire Nation Military Camp as a young adult in front of General Zhao for the first time.

"It sucks not being able to control your life, doesn't it?" Katara asked in a dangerously low tone. She became irritated when Yon Rha did not respond to her. She slammed her hand in a downward motion, and the man fell hard onto the dirt.

"Augh!" he roared in pain.

"It sucks, doesn't it?" Katara screamed louder. She moved her hand up, Yon Rha's body moving back into a standing position.

"What do you want with me?" Yon Rha asked. "If you just wanted to get rid of me, why didn't you just kill me before?"

"Oh, I'm not going to kill you." Katara let out an eery cackle. "I'm going to make you suffer the way you made me suffer for so long!" With that, she pushed her hand foward, causing the man the jerk helplessly down the road to his treacherous fate.

* * *

><p>Aang sat on his bed, petting his winged-lemur, Momo, awaiting for Katara's return. She had slipped off during the middle of the night yet again, and Aang couldn't help but feel worried and confused for his friend. What was she doing that had to be done in the night, especially in secret? Knowing Katara, it could be helping save another troubled village, or as far as trying to kill a man, which Aang prayed she wasn't doing. He listened as Katara's footsteps could be heard echoing in the chambers of the Fire Nation mansion. The door creaked open and Katara slipped through, shutting the door as quietly as she could. Aang sighed and used his pointer finger to shoot fire at many small candles throughout the room, making it lighter as Katara turned to face Aang, surprise and confusion covering her.<p>

"Aang!" she cried. "You scared me."

"You scared _me_," he shot back. "Where were you?"

"I was just going out for a walk," Katara answered coolly. She slipped out of her ragged brown hooded dress, revealing the white wrap she wore to covered her chest underneath. Aang gaped for a second before snapping back into focus.

"Why walk at night when you could walk during the day?" Aang asked, raising an eyebrow.

"It's more peaceful at night," Katara said. "You can hear the Wolfbat's howls, and see the stars... and the moon." Katara slipped off her burlap pants to show the white wrap underskirt that she wore. Aang tried to figure out any peculiarity in what Katara had been saying, but the sight of the well-developed and very attractive girl in front of him was very distracting for him. She crawled into the bed beside Aang and kissed him softly on the lips.

"Uh..." Aang was lost for words, only making very soft moans.

"Good night, Aang," Katara sighed as she rolled onto her side and closed her eyes. Aang shrugged off Katara's weird behavior and lied down beside her, dreaming about Katara, and the white wraps she wore underneath of her clothing.


	4. Toph, Part One

Ex-Fire Lord Ozai yanked ruthlessly against his chains. He thought that his strength was the one thing that could save him from the hell that he was being forced to live in for the past two months. He knew that he wasn't in the worst of conditions, compared to the broken bones of the seven Dai Li or his own daughter, but he felt that he needed to be even more respected for the well-known figure that he is- or _was_- yet was being treated as if he were barely a human. The muscles he spent his entire lifetime to achieve were deteriorating to barely anything. His shirt hung off of his shoulders, and the only thing that kept his pants around his waist was a string that Katara was able to tie around his waist. The chains hadn't rusted at all, and the cuffs were tight around his wrists. He gave up quickly; fighting was inevitable.

Azula felt defeated just by watching her father fall apart before her. Azula wanted to put all of the energy that she had left into fighting back and setting everyone free, but she knew that Katara was too strong. Whenever Katara would sense that she was threatened by Azula's actions, she would use water to freeze Azula's hands and feet and took out anything that could allow Azula to access fire. She had now began coming to the prisoners during the day so she wouldn't need a torch, and her rations varied depending on the amount of leftovers from the morning meals. She was now a skeleton with skin, covered in the dingy red sack of a dress she wore for prison garb and layers of dirt. But nothing was going to defeat the Princess of the Fire Nation.

"Tonight's the night, father," Azula told her father as he stopped fighting his chains.

"What are you talking about?" he asked bitterly.

"I'm tired of this Southern Water Tribe villager terrorizing us. We are royalty, and we deserve to be treated as such."

"You shouldn't bother," Yon Rha sighed. "When this girl becomes determined enough, she will fight back. She nearly killed me the first time she confronted me. Now, I wish that she actually did."

"It's because we're not friends of the Avatar," one of the Dai Li said mockingly. "We aren't one-hundred-and-thirteen-year-old boys who seem as if they are thirteen. We aren't the saviors who are going to bring world peace."

"Yet, look at how high we are in power," Azula said. "The Dai Li, who served the Earth King and Fire Nation. Yon Rha, commander of the Southern Raiders. The Fire Lord."

"And the Fire Nation Princess," another Dai Li pointed out.

"We all fell to the hands of an angered fifteen-year-old girl," Yon Rha noted.

"Well, tonight is the full moon," Ozai said. "She's not going to miss another chance of visiting us." He turned to his daughter. "This is your chance, Azula. I know you can defeat her and free us." Azula beamed; it had been a long time since her father had praised her.

"I will, Father," she said. "Shh! Here she comes!" A light travelled closer towards the corridor, letting everyone know that Katara was on her way. Everyone stiffened except for Azula, who was prepared to burn Katara with the fire coming her way. She waited until Katara appeared, but the fire was gone. Even more peculiarly, rather than wearing the same prison garb as the others would, she was wearing a white gossamer gown instead.

"Hello," Katara greeted subtly. "I guess you're all wondering why I'm here."

"To trap us with somebody else who you despise," a Dai Li answered.

"Not today," Katara told the prisoners coolly. She smiled and revealed the light behind her back, catching everyone's eyes. The light came from a glass in Katara's hand, held on a stick. They had never seen such a controlled fire in their lives, and were amazed about how bright it was.

"I've never seen such a beautiful fire," Yon Rha breathed.

"It's like the sun... trapped in a ball," Ozai said. "What is that?"

"Just a new invention," Katara answered. She twisted the glass, and the fire disappeared. "It's called a lightbulb."

"Lightbulb?" everyone asked.

"It's a ball of light, but it's not fire," Katara explained. "And it's very controlled. There's also electricity."

"The only electricity comes from lightning," Azula said pointedly. "There's no way anyone else could possibly use it without dying."

"Oh, but we can." Katara smashed the lightbulb against the wall, letting the glass fall around her feet. "See? It's not fire. It's an element. It's called Mercury. And it's not a bendable element." She turned and began walking away.

"Why did you come if you didn't bring another prisoner?" Ozai shouted after her. She stopped walking, but didn't turn around to face him.

"Because some prisons are not easy to break people out of," Katara answered quietly. She continued walking away, leaving the others alone in the dark- again.

* * *

><p>Toph sat up in her bed. She could feel vibrations on the floor, and she became very suspicious of it. Every so often, after everyone would go to bed, she could feel someone else's footsteps walking around. She wouldn't feel them again until many hours later, waking her up. She stayed quiet about it for a while, but she knew that there was something special about everytime it happened.<p>

"Hello?" Toph asked. She opened the door to her bedroom and crept into the hallway. The floors were wood, regrettably for Toph, but only because she used to frequently use the earth floors to attack people when she became angry. She turned to the left and felt the vibrations become stronger; the intruder was close. Toph ran into the atrium, turning in circles fast. She swore that she could have just felt the person, but now, it was as if they had vanished.

"Whoever it is, I _will_ hurt you!" Toph threatened, putting up her fists. She heard a small whirl above her head, and she suddenly fell onto her stomach as something bound her ankles together her feet. She then felt her hand become tied behind her back. The vibrations of a stranger's footsteps appeared again.

"I'm serious!" the girl snapped. "I'll scream!" She took a deep breath, but before she could do anything, she felt a cloth come over her mouth, smothering her voice. A hand grabbed the back of her head and practically forced Toph to inhale the cloth until she couldn't feel consciousness anymore.

* * *

><p>"HELP!" Aang sat up immediately. He looked over to see that the other half of his bed was empty, the sheets were tossed over, and no Katara. He slowly stood out of his bed and made his way towards the door. He wasn't sure if he was just hearing things or if someone was in danger. Besides, he was in his underwear and nothing else. What if he ran into someone else, like Suki?<p>

"Someone help!" It was Katara. Now Aang was running down the hall, not even caring who saw him anymore. He found Katara rocking herself right beside Toph, who was lying unconsciously beside her.

"Toph!" Aang ran to his friend's side and shook her body. "Katara, what happened?"

"I-I don't kn-know," she answered, her voice quaverring. "I heard a scream, and h-here she was. Th-they got aw-way."

"What's going on?" Zuko asked as he came into the scene. Sokka and Suki were right behind him.

"Where's your clothes?" Sokka asked Aang, furrowing his brow.

"I was sleeping, thank you very much," Aang responded bitterly. "But that doesn't matter, because Toph is hurt!"

"Her feet are burned," Zuko said as he examined her feet. "They're worse than when _I_ burned them."

"So, what does that mean?" Suki asked. "Is she going to be alright?"

"They're third-degree burns," Zuko said. "There's a good chance that she won't... 'see' again." Everyone gasped. Katara burst into tears. Aang tried to hug her, but she pushed him away.

"Uungh," Toph moaned as she regained consciousness. "What's going on?"

"Toph!" everyone cried.

"You're going to be okay, Toph," Sokka assured. "Do you remember what happened?"

Toph picked up her head a few inches. "No... they weren't on the ground... I couldn't tell who it was..." Her head fell back to the floor and her eyes rolled to the back of her head.

"You guys should go get help," Katara suggested, sniffling and wiping away her tears. "I'll stay here with her."

"Are you sure?" Aang asked.

"If I'm here, then they won't come back, I'm certain," Katara said, smiling. "After all, it's the full moon." Everyone nodded and ran out of the palace.

"Did you just say that it's the full moon?" Toph asked weakly. "What was that thing that happens on full moons?" Her blank eyes widened in fear. "Oh no..."

"Oh no is right," Katara said. She balled her hand into a fist, and Toph felt her body become contricted, as if she was being choked.

"What are you doing?" she croaked.

"You won't tell a soul, or else your feet aren't the only thing that's going to burn," Katara threatened. "And I can make you disappear if I have to. Do you understand?"

"...Yes!" Toph gasped. Katara unclenched her fist and Toph began coughing as she finally was able to breathe regularly again. Katara grinned.

"Good."


	5. Toph, Part Two

Katara wandered around the village outside of the Fire Nation captial, carrying an half-full basket and humming to herself while she overlooked the various carts. She recognized the balding old man who was gently placing cabbages on his cart, watching the other villagers wearily in case they intended to knock one of them over. Children were weaving through the adults, smiling and laughing as they playing Tag. One child, who was particularly slower than all of the others was tagged, nearly pushed over. The tagger pulled on the girl's long black braid and jeered at her. The little child stopped running and had a lone tear running down her pale cheek. Katara instantly felt bad for her and reached into her basket. She fished out a red hard candy and walked over to the little girl, who was now sitting on her bottom and starting to sob. Katara kneeled by her and the girl looked up to see the candy being held in front of her. A twinkle formed in her eyes and she glanced at Katara, who nodded. The girl snatched up the treat and grinned, revealing a missing front tooth.

"Thanks, lady!" she said as she picked herself up from off of the cobblestone streets. She placed the hard candy in her mouth and took off after her friends, all of whom didn't cease their games. Katara giggled and stood back up. She looked over to see a cart with scrolls from different nations on display. Behind it was a woman whose face was covered by a sun hat, her long brown hair cascading to her thin waist and was wearing an abundance of red, like everyone else. But Katara knew exactly who she was. She walked up to the cart as nonchalantly as she could manage and began leafing through one of the Water Tribe scrolls.

"Those are very rare," the woman said in her sweet, high-pitched voice. "From the Southern Water Tribe. And there are no more Water Benders down there."

"You know who I am," Katara said bluntly. "I brought it for you."

"Show me then," the woman said, tipping her hat up slightly to see better. Katara placed her basket up on the cart and pulled out two scrolls. The woman's eyes widened in shock as she took them graciously.

"You have no idea how much you're helping me out here," Katara said. "And remember that you're sworn to secrecy."

"I'll make it seem so accidental that not even Uncle Iroh would have been able to notice the difference." The woman grinned as she placed her scrolls into a satchel behind her.

"By the way, you stick out like a sore thumb," Katara pointed out as she turned to leave. "Your lack of black hair and amber eyes are not a very good disguise. Someone might recognize you." She walked away briskly towards the palace. The woman shook her head and smirked.

"Always good to see you too, Katara," she sighed as she looked around for an escape. She noticed that someone was pushing a cart by her and shoved hers forward harshly. The two carts clashed violently, sending scrolls and cabbages everywhere. She quickly grabbed her satchel and ran into and alley. She climbed up the walls of one of the buildings and and the rooftop. She ran across the tiles on the roof. She didn't mind that she left behind a chaotic mess; the scrolls were all blank anyways.

* * *

><p>Katara watched as Toph used the cane that Suki had made to guide herself towards the front doors of the palace. The rest of the group was behind her, mentally prepared in case the poor blind girl happened to trip and fall over. The burns on her feet were completely incapable of healing, and when asked, Toph continuously said that whoever her attacker was had escaped. Zuko tried to find out who it was exactly, but all attempts had failed. Sokka was certain that it was Azula or Ozai, beign fully aware that the Fire Lord and Princess had still not been found after so many months. It was the full moon once again, and Katara was instructed to bring Toph home to her parents so that they could take care of her. Toph knew that she wasn't going back home, and rather than act like the rebellious thirteen-year-old that she was, she agreed silently. No one seemed to notice the change in the child's attitude, but all of them were worried about a second attack being made by the intruder from last week.<p>

"We need to have all of the palace guards come with you," Aang insisted. "I don't want the two of you to get attacked again, or worse!"

"It's alright, Aang," Katara replied calmly, smiling. "Nothing bad is going to happen."

"Well, one of us should go with you, just in case," Suki suggested, rubbing her eyes and yawning obnoxiously.

"If she says they'll be fine, they'll be fine," Mai said, sighing.

"This is serious, Mai," Zuko snapped. "What if they came after you next time?"

"I wouldn't be so worried about that. I can look out for myself." Zuko rolled his eyes; there was no point in arguing with his level-headed girlfriend.

"You are not going out there alone!" Sokka shouted at his sister. "Someone is going out there with you, and that's final!"

"You're not the boss of me!" Katara yelled back.

"I am your older brother, so yes, I am!" At that, everyone began arguing with someone else. Aang threw himself into the brother-sister fight, defending Katara. Mai demanded that Zuko stopped treating her as if she were helpless. Suki began tugging on Sokka's arm and tried to get him to pull back a bit. Toph sighed and covered her ears with her hands. She let out the loudest shriek she could manage, making everyone else quiet down almost instantly.

"Shouldn't the victim have the say in this?" she cried. She pointed at Zuko. "Aang, you're coming with me and Katara!" Toph grabbed Sokka's hand and began storming towards the door, swinging her cane around in front of her.

"But that's not us," Aang said, confused.

"Let's just go and get this over with," Katara sighed as they started after Toph. "Toph! That's Sokka!"

* * *

><p>Aang led the way for the trio with a small flame that he held gently in the palm of his hand. Katara followed behind from a distance and helped guide Toph. Toph had given up her cane to Katara, and was regretting it, knowing that now she wasn't going to be able to knock Katara unconscious long enough to tell Aang the truth. Katara knew that after a while, she would be able to get away from Aang and send Toph away. Toph didn't deserve to be sent into the dark caves (after all, she was only thirteen), so she found an alternative with equal consequences. As long as Toph's hands stayed off of the ground, nothing bad could happen.<p>

"Am I going with them?" Toph asked.

"With who?" Katara wasn't sure what the blind girl meant.

"With Azula and Ozai. I know that you're the one who did something to them." Katara gulped. How could she possibly have found out. Before she could answer, she heard the sound of Aang falling down the small cliff ahead, then a small sound of him crashing onto the solid earth below. Katara knew the drop; it wouldn't kill the Avatar, but he would be unconscious for an hour or two.

"How were you able to convince him to lead you throw the forest?" It was the woman from the market, her sweet voice coming from somewhere in the darkness.

"I said that we were meeting the Bei Fongs in here," Katara answered simply.

"Clever." The woman came and approached Toph. "He's waiting for her."

"Who is?" Toph asked.

"He'll pay you heavily for this," Katara said, ignoring Toph. "Trust me, you'd probably never even hesitate to go back to the Earth Kingdom for a while once you see how much."

"I'm on vacation for now. Until some kind of chaos breaks out, I'm not needed." The woman took the cane from Katara's hands. "Now, go take your boyfriend back home before people think that you're dead."

"Will do so." Katara ran and jumped down the cliff, leaving Toph alone with the woman.

"What'cha gonna do with me?" Toph asked.

"That," the woman replied, "is none of your concern."

* * *

><p>"Master Yu!" The Earth Bending master looked up from his scroll to see a woman wearing nothing but pink approaching him. His two servants stood behind him by his carriage, prepared to do whatever he wanted. The woman was pulling a groaning Toph her limp arm, as the girl's limbs turned into those of a ragdoll. The woman carried the cane with her, but not with the intentions of giving it back to Toph.<p>

"Ah, thank you for bringing her to me," he said, grinning. "This time, I brought a _wooden_ cage for her so that she can't possibly escape. Who knew someone could bend metal?"

"There's a bunch of things that can surprise people," the woman said as she dropped Toph's arm. Master Yu's two servants picked up the girl and placed her in the cage, locking it from the outside. Toph moaned from inside of there, but was incapable of anything else at the moment.

"This means very much to the Bei Fongs," Master Yu began.

"I want my pay," the woman demanded.

"About that-" The woman didn't let Master Yu finish. She whacked him with the cane, breaking it into two pieces. The man fell to the dirt. His servants gasped and stared at her in fear.

"Give me my money, or else pay the price," she growled. The two younger men quickly retrieved her the small burlap sack of gold coins from the inside of the carriage and gave it to her. She smiled and waved at them.

"You cannot do this to me!" Master Yu cried. "Do you know who I am? I'm Master Yu, the best Earth Kingdom warrior!"

"Do you know who _I_ am?" the woman spat. "I'm Ty Lee." With that, she turned on her heel and ran back into the forest, jumping from the ground to the lowest tree branch. She climbed to the higher, thinner branches and ran across them, back towards the Fire Nation capitol. If she was going to be here for a while, why not visit some old friends?


	6. Mai

"Ty Lee, it's been wonderful having you stay with us here," Katara said, sipping her tea gingerly. Iroh had stopped at home in between shifts and made the two girls some of his great Jade tea before heading back out. Zuko and Mai were walking around the Fire Nation capital. Sokka and Suki were taking a vacation at Kiyoshi Island, visiting the Kiyoshi warriors for a couple of weeks. Aang had taken Appa and Momo with him to go and see how Toph was doing ever since he had become permantently blinded. Katara was certain that she wasn't ratted out since she hadn't been thrown into prison yet. By what Suki and Ty Lee described to Katara about the Boiling Rock, the Fire Nation prison, it wasn't pleasant, or escapable in any possible way. The only successful escape was the one made by Sokka, Zuko, Suki, her father, and their new friend, who she hadn't seen in a long time, or remembered the name of. If the Boiling Rock hadn't changed between then and now, Katara certainly didn't want to go there.

"It's been wonderful being here!" the perky brunette chirped. She smiled as she took a sip of her tea. Ty Lee was the oddball of the entire Fire Nation. She was the daughter of Nobles, the best friend of the Fire Nation princess, and very well-respected. But unlike all of the others born in the Fire Nation, she had light brown hair and brown eyes, rather than the usual black hair and amber eyes. She didn't want to walk around in pretty dresses and go to fancy parties; she wanted to join the circus and do her acrobatics all of the time. She did, but the corrupted Azula ripped her away from that as a recruitment to capture the Avatar- something unsuccessful- and had the ability to use her tai-chi more often than she was used to. Her tai-chi enabled her to disable her enemies by using two fingers to jab them lightly where certain joints were, making their body become limp and numb. Katara knew the feeling; Ty Lee had used it on her before, and it was a very good quality to have; much better than Metal Bending, in Katara's opinion.

"I know that you've been having much fun with the Kiyoshi warriors in the Earth Kingdom," Katara noted.

"They're like the best friends I've always wanted!" Ty Lee exclaimed. "We're all super close, and no one hates me for being from the Fire Nation!"

"At least, not anymore," Katara muttered under her breath.

"What?"

"Remember when you were younger, when your parents had you be exactly like your six sisters?" Katara asked calmly. "You were each identical to the next, day after day, until finally, you cracked and ran away to join the circus. And now, you are dressing the same as six other girls." Katara sipped her tea and looked into Ty Lee's worried eyes. "Are you trying to tell everyone something?"

"I hadn't thought of that before," Ty Lee said. "It makes sense, though. I'm finally in a place where I'm still the odd one out, but I'm dressed as if I were one of the girls..." Ty Lee put her cup down and sighed. "No matter what, I will always be that one girl who will never fit it." Ty Lee covered her face with her hands and began to cry into them.

"It's what they did to you," Katara said.

"What who did to me?"

"Your so-called 'friends' in the Fire Nation." Ty Lee looked up, confused as always.

"You don't mean Azula and Mai, right?" she asked.

"Of course I do. I mean, after all, they always reminded you how you were the sore thumb of the entire Fire Nation. In fact, if one didn't know any better, you could've been easily mistaken for an Earthbender. After all, you have the same physical traits as such. You were probably adopted. And they would've known too. That's why they left you on the sidelines and tried to make you feel less superior to them. Even the Kiyoshi warriors see you as nothing more than a girl from the Fire Nation. Honestly, did you think their opinions would change about that? No, of course not. You're a pawn in their little game, and you're the easiest piece to move around, too. You need to open your eyes and see what these people are doing to you, Ty Lee, because you're everyone's doormat."

"What?" Ty Lee gasped. But Katara wasn't finished with her speech yet.

"But I wouldn't treat you as a doormat. After all we've been through, and after all of the amazing feats we've completed throughout our fifteen years of living, I know that our partnership is unstoppable. Not even an Avatar can master Bloodbending and tai-chi; it's just you and me against the three nations. We can defeat everyone who did us wrong and make them bow down to us the second they lay eyes on us." Katara put down her cup as well and took Ty Lee's hand in hers. "Together, we can become Queens of the world."

"Well, I do like crowns," Ty Lee admitted. "And you're right. Everyone does treat me like a doormat. I'm tired of being stepped on all of the time." Ty Lee stood up. "Especially by Mai. We're supposed to be best friends now, and I'm still nothing to her but a person to remind that she is monotone and depressed. She acts like she could care less about me, when I'm not even sure she has any emotions at all!" Katara stood up as well, intrigued by how strongly Ty Lee felt about her mistreatment by others.

"If you help me with a little task, we can easily put Mai where she belongs," Katara assured her new friend. Ty Lee smiled, an evil look overshadowing her once innocent face.

"How?" she asked, giggling.

"Well, how much do you know about the Boiling Rock."

* * *

><p>"I'm just so worried," Zuko told Mai. "It's been almost six months since Azula disappeared. I mean, what if she's plotting to assassinate me at this moment and we just don't know it?"<p>

"I don't know," Mai answered with a bored tone implied. Zuko frowned.

"She could be after all of us, for all we know," he added.

"Yeah, I'm sure that she is." Zuko snatched his arm away from Mai, scowling.

"What's your problem?" he barked. Mai crossed her arms in front of her chest and furrowed her brow.

"What's _my_ problem?" she asked loudly. "I'm not the one who thinks that my paranoid sister is going to try to murder me in my sleep! That's all you ever talk about anymore! Don't you have anything better to say? Azula's gone, and you should be happy about that!"

"Well, maybe I'm not! No matter how evil she is, and whether or not she's alive, Azula is my little sister! She's always going to be no matter what!"

"So? Just ignore her! You've both done that since you were thirteen and she was eleven, remember? She was _smiling_ while your father branded you with that ugly scar!"

"Do you think I like this scar?" Zuko cried. Neither of them seemed to notice that people around them were stopping to stare at the couple's quarrel in the middle of the market place, nor did they seem ready to stop fighting anytime soon. "Do you think I want to be known as the boy with a scar covering half of his face?"

"Well, that's what you get for being a terrible son!" Both Mai and Zuko froze the instance the words left her mouth. Never did she try to insult Zuko that badly, and now she knew that she had crossed the line. She just calmly put her arms to her sides and walked towards the edge of the city.

"Where do you think you're going?" Zuko shouted after her.

"The Earth Kingdom! I'm going to Omashu!" Mai called back, refusing to turn around to see her boyfriend.

"Why would you do that when there's a palace that you live at?"

"Because we're over!" Mai stopped walking and hesitated. She wanted to turn around to see how Zuko had just reacted to what she had said. Instead, she kept on walking as if nothing had been said. She didn't see Zuko turn around and run. He ran into the nearest alley and jumped onto the rooftops. He ran across the tops of the homes all of the way back to the palace, ashamed of what his people had just witnessed.

* * *

><p>Ty Lee watched from her post in a tree off of the dirt path that led towards the dock. From the dock, a boat would carry people from the Fire Nation to the Earth Kingdom or one of the Water Tribes at the North and South poles of the world. Katara was waiting down below for Mai to come their way; they'd witnessed the fight between Mai and Zuko and knew now that they got her exactly where they wanted her to be. Mai had her arms tucked inside of her sleeves and sighed every now and then. Ty Lee couldn't helo but wonder how they even became friends in the first place. She watched Mai walk past her post. After she walked a few meters, Katara began to follow. It didn't take long for Katara to be caught off guard as Mai turned and threw three blades at the Waterbender. The first one grazed her arm, leaving a significant tear in her common clothes, but hooking on to the end of her sleeve, pulling her back with a great force. The second blade hooked onto her second sleeve. Both of her arms had been pinned against the tree. The third blade caught onto the long braid behind Katara's head, cutting off her braid from the shoulders down. Ty Lee watched as the long brown braid fell to the ground. Mai walked up to Katara, glaring at her.<p>

"What are you doing?" she asked. "Were you following me?"

"I have no idea what you're talking about," Katara answered calmly. Ty Lee slowly began descending down the tree, careful not to attract Mai's attention. Katara had her full undivided attention though.

"What are you wearing?" Mai asked, her nose slightly wrinkling with disgust.

"That's nothing of importance to you," Katara answered. "But I bet Zuko would love it."

"Excuse me?"

"I saw your little fight in the market area earlier today. It was really amusing watching you dump the Fire Lord in front of all of his people, in the capitol of the Fire Nation, of all of the places you could pick. Nice finishing touch to watch him run home on top of houses so nobody would see him cry. Really touching."

"You were following me?"

"On the contrary, I was out here before you. But, in a sense, yes, I was following you." Ty Lee had made it to the ground without attracting Mai's attention for a split second. She knew exactly what to do. It happened too fast for Mai to get a chance to react at all. One jab to each of her elbows, two to the top of her spine, and her former best friend was lying on the ground, unable to move an inch without her limbs sprawling out all over the ground uncontrollably.

"Wow," she breathed. "I'd never thought I would ever do that to Mai."

"There comes a time for everything," Katara answered. Ty Lee nodded and removed the two blades the had trapped Katara against the tree from the sleeves. She left the third one and watched as Katara undid what was left of her hair. It fell in short waves to her shoulders, her hair loops still in tact.

"It looks... different," Ty Lee commented. "I like it." Katara smiled and nodded.

"You ready to pull off the greatest stunt in Fire Nation history?"

Ty Lee nodded. For once, she was ready.

* * *

><p>The girls watched as the gondolas fell into the boiling water of the volcano. Through the thick steam, the could sense Mai watching them with an evil look in her eye. The cries of Mai's uncle arose from below as he was boiled alive. The girls had tied him down to the top of one of the gondolas. They had cut the lines while it was suspended above the water, assuring that for now on, no one would be able to get inside of or leave the Boiling Rock prison. It was now inescapable, just how Katara wanted it to be.<p>

"I have an idea for next full moon," Ty Lee spoke up.

"I'm all ears," Katara said.

"What if we moved everyone from the mountain to the Boiling Rock? That way, they can't escape, right?"

Katara thought about it, a smile growing on her face. "Ty Lee, has anyone ever told you that you are a genius?"

"Nope, but it's nice for someone to finally say that."

"This," Katara said, "is the beginning of something spectacular." Both girls laughed evilly. They were soon cut off by the shouting of Appa.

"Is he going to tell on us?" Ty Lee asked.

"No, he isn't," Katara answered. The girls worked their way down the side of the volcano to the flying bison.

"How are you so sure?"

"I'm going to buy him lettuce and apples at the market today to keep him hushed, right Appa?" Appa roared, proving his cooperation with Katara.

"And maybe we can give him a bath too!" Ty Lee added. Appa roared again.

"That should keep him satisfied until next time," Katara said. The girls climbed onto his saddle. "Appa, yip-yip!"


	7. After The Boiling Rock

Katara sat still, staring at her reflection in the mirror of the vanity table she was sitting at, while Ty Lee was humming to herself. She had recently learned the unique art of straightening hair by heating up two small flat pieces of iron and pressing hair between it. Ty Lee wrapped a thick layer of cloth over the iron pieces before setting one end on top of heated coal. Katara gently ran a brush through her own hair, trying not to yank too hard on the forming knots. She hadn't been taking very good care of herself lately; she'd moved all of her captives to the Boiling Rock during the full moon a few days ago and had to keep it on the down-low in case Aang caught wind. Fortunately he didn't, and Katara was more greatful that Aang was going to visit Iroh in the Earth Kingdom capitol, Ba Sing Se. Sokka and Suki were on their own trip, first to see Toph, and then to reunite with the Kiyoshi warriors on Kiyoshi Island. It was just her, Ty Lee... and Zuko.

"Are you sure that you're ready for this?" Ty Lee asked. "After all, you're only fifteen, and he's nearly eighteen. That's a bit of a stretch."

"It's not like it's illegal or anything," Katara sighed as she put down the brush. Her hair was still waving down her neck, stopping just at her shoulders, as a reminder of what Mai had done to her last time. Her uncut pieces of hair from her hairloops went down to her waist. No one had anything critical to say about this, but instead were concerned over the fact that Mai was missing in the first place. It had gotten to the point where Zuko rarely left his room. And tonight, Katara was going to try to make him forget all about her.

"Just keep perfectly still so that I don't scar your neck," Ty Lee warned. Katara nodded and used a clip to hold up most of her hair. Ty Lee carefully used the flat iron pieces to straighten Katara's hair. She winced in pain as her hot hair went back to her neck and definitely burnt her a bit, but the pain went away quicker than she had expected. It was a very long process, but about an hour later, Katara's hair was entirely straight, hanging past her shoulders, or to her hips with her hair loop strands. Katara and Ty Lee were beyond impressed.

"If I were you I'd open up my own salon for this," Katara breathed.

"I have a gift for utter beauty!" Ty Lee gushed, grinning. "And I know which outfit to use to get Zuko's attention."

Katara stared at Ty Lee's reflection in the mirror. "I should probably be worried for you, considering not many people know anything about your past. All people know is that you were just like your sisters."

Ty Lee sighed and sat down on the edge of Katara's bed. "It was hard the past year. The Kiyoshi warriors were still hesitant to accept me as one of their own. They awaited the day I would supposedly turn my back on them and return to Azula to tear apart their tiny village. But all I wanted was to fit in. So... once a week, every month, I- I'm so ashamed of what I've done, and please don't judge me- began to dance for men's entertainment purposes. My flexibility and tai-chi seemed to work wonders for their imaginations, and although I knew it was one hundred percent wrong, it reminded me that somehow, somewhere I was wanted as the real me. The real me? Ha! She died a long time ago, and is going to burn to bits with the rest of her family! Honor? I don't need to give two squats of honor to my parents! Why, they refused to let me have a personality! How could I ever become myself today unless I had run away? I want to be loved by a real person! Not my parents, not fake love from a stranger, but true, real, fairytale love. Is that too much to ask for?"

Katara sat still solemnly, unsure of how to react to the girl's outburst. Ty Lee was usually very calm excited for no apparent reason. She never seemed to have any excuse to let her bright smile fall a nudge. This Ty Lee was a complete stranger to the one that had hunted down her and her friends for months all around the earth. This Ty Lee had no soul left in her, no reason to flash her stunning smile, undeniable mental instability, and was possibly beginning to develop into a sociopath. After heartfelt, honest speeches usually came along the explosion of waterworks that drowned out everything, but this time, just an eery grin that was anything but pleasant and comforting. The sweet innocent girl had become a psychotic young woman who entered her adolescence by selling out her vulnerable body to the male population to gawk at.

But that's what Katara needed to jump-start her plan, her _new_ plan. Getting revenge on certain foes was no longer doing her any good, giving her the rush that her body craved as she controlled every blood drop within a human body. During each full moon, she could feel herself gain all of the power in the world. The first time she used Bloodbending on Hama, she swore to never do it again, and cried for days over how disgusting and deadly this new power she possessed was to the world they were trying to change for the better. But the second time, when she thought she had found the man who'd killed her mother, she didn't hold back or hesitate for a microsecond. She saw the bewildered look in Zuko's eyes. He didn't recognize the dominating Katara, the ventriloquist of the full moon nights, the most powerul of all Bloodbenders in history, the one who quenched herself with the ability to take over another person without much of an attempt to begin with. All of her anger had finally made it so that way Katara was the most powerful being alive.

No one, not even Aang, was as powerful as she was. Even with the ability to control all four elements, and not to mention being the only Airbender in existence, Bloodbending was something that Aang wouldn't be able to do even if his life depended on that trait alone. And Katara was ready to take over the world.

* * *

><p>Zuko dismissed two of his servants, telling them that they could get some much needed rest so he could catch some sleep of his own as well. The servants bowed respectively and shuffled away quickly, the only sounds coming from the leather soles of their shoes squeaking on the polished and waxed tiles of the Fire Palace floors. He took of his robe, wincing as the silk fabric brushed up against his lightning wound gently. The pain was something that never went away, and he knew that he was going to have to live with it for the rest of his life. The same went for the only memory of his father, ex-Fire Lord Ozai- the scar on the left-half of his face that was never able to heal. It was as if he was a cattle, branded and humiliated in front of the entire world. No matter how hard he could ever try to hide from anyone, the scar helped them find him in an instance. It was a painful memory that caused tears to begin forming in his eyes. He roughly wiped them away as quickly as he could. As the Fire Lord, crying would be a sign of internal weakness, and he wasn't going to give in to it.<p>

Zuko let the robe fall onto the floor, hesitating on whether or not to pick it up or leave it for the servants to pick up in the morning. He decided to place the robe in a box designated for the washer maid to clean. He slipped out of his pants and added them into the pile forming in the box as well. He now remained in a dark red fabric wrapped around his private area, with a front tail that hung halfway down his thighs. It was the same color as the undergarments Mai would wear, and the thought of her pained Zuko. He quickly removed her from his mind and tried to trick his subconscience into thinking it was extremely tired to help make Zuko fall asleep faster. He lied down on his bed when there was a knock at the door. Embarassed that it was a servant, Zuko quickly and sloppily covered himself with his comforter, trying to make himself look cool and nonchalant, but rather looked foolish.

"Who goes there?" Zuko barked.

"Katara."

Zuko raised his eyebrows. Why would she bother him this late, or at all? "You can come on in," he allowed hesitantly.

As the bedroom chamber doors opened, Zuko gaped at a sight he never imagined once in his life. Katara leaned against the door in a seductive pose; her right arm over her head, reaching up along the second, unopened door; her left hip jutted out a little further than normal; her left arm across her upper abdomen area with her hand gently on the closed door as well, purposefully pushing her breasts up higher for extra effect; biting her bottom lip gently, grinning; her eyes lazily locking into a stare with Zuko's, daring him to not react to her appearance. She was wearing two white wraps; the first around her breasts, which grown recently due to her hitting puberty; the second around her hips down to her very upper thigh, the excess tied into a huge bow right in the front, amused at how it drew Zuko's attention. She slipped inside and quietly shut the chamber doors. She sauntered over to the bed slowly, making a small show out of it. Zuko crossed his legs, grateful that there was a comforter over the lower half of his body at the moment, not wanting to scare off Katara. In the very far back of his mind, a reminder that she was merely a fifteen-year-old pubescent compared to his nearly adulthood self. But the rest of his mind pushed that thought out, lettign thoughts of Katara replace it almost instantly.

"I..." Zuko wasn't sure what to say.

"I know, you're pretty shocked that it took you so long to see something so precious, so beautiful, standing right in front of your nose," Katara whispered, poking the tip of Zuko's nose gently with her index finger.

"Ye-yeah," he stammered. "I-I was..."

"Shh," she shushed him, placing her finger over his lips. "You don't need to say another word." She wiped her finger across his lips and drew it back. She stuck her finger in her mouth and moaned sensuously. Zuko was beyond stunned at this point.

"Why are you doing this?" he asked, trying to remain the mature, responsible adult in the situation. "What about Aang?"

"Silly Zuko," Katara giggled. She climbed onto the bed, sitting on her knees and raising Zuko's chin. "Aang is a naïve little boy." She leaned in close to Zuko's ear and hissed, "What I need is a _hot, muscular man_." She bit his ear for effect, eliciting a groan from Zuko. She placed a kiss on his cheek, then the other, then his forehead, the tip of his nose. Zuko couldn't bear another teasing second before forcefull crashing his lips onto hers. He rolled himself on top of her, using one hand to hold her wrists above her head, and the other held up her leg so that it was nearly wrapped around his waist. Their tongues dances together, they bit each other's lips, their soft moans filled the large room.

"Show me what a real man you are," Katara whispered in between kisses.

"You got it," Zuko whispered back. He grabbed onto the wrap around Katara's chest and began unravelling it, ready to explore the beauty of the young woman unlike he'd ever thought. And as for Mai- who was Mai to him anymore? It was just Katara and Zuko- Zutara.


	8. Suki

Katara lied down on the bed, taking deep breaths, her eyes closed, visioning what her life is now. She was still with Aang, continuing their everlasting romance ever since they've met after she found him in the iceberg. They were planning on their future lifestyle as they reshaped the world. They were even working on Republic City, a place for all benders and non-benders. Against Sokka's wishes, her and Aang were more active than he knew, and she was grateful for it. The palace was large enough that Sokka's bedroom wasn't near her and Aang's bedroom. Toph's room was the closest, but now Ty Lee was permanently moved in.

And then there was Zuko. Their love was forbidden. Whenever most of the house was abandoned, they'd rendevous in one of the bedrooms. Their connection was undeniable now, and the only one who had any knowledge of this was Ty Lee. They had even planned of eloping one day, but they feared that Aang would enter the Avatar State and unleash his fury upon either one of them. Katara loved him more than her heart could bear. However, she knew she couldn't. If Aang didn't kill them first, Sokka would.

"Hey, everybody!" Sokka ran by the dining room doorway and slipped. The loud sound of him crashing into the wall echoed throughout the room. Katara covered her face with her hand and groaned, embarassed by her older brother. Suki slowly walked into the room. Sokka reappeared after a few moments, holding his head. He pulled it away and held Suki's revealing a large red bump forming on his dark skin.

"Way to make an entrance," Zuko remarked. Ty Lee and Katara giggled at that. Aang didn't seem to notice, or care for that matter.

"We have huge news for everyone to hear!" Suki gushed. "I'm pregnant!"

"What?" Everyone dropped their spoons.

"That's one way to say hello," Aang joked. "Eh?" The others shrugged off the joke. Aang looked down at his plate shamefully.

"I'm gonna be a father!" Sokka shouted. "I can't believe this! We'll raise the baby in this palace, we can enroll the kid in the best Fire Nation School-"

"What?" Suki asked. "You can't think that we're staying here."

"Why not? This place is perfect!"

"We're going to live on Kiyoshi Island so my parents can be near me."

"Why, when all of our friends are here!"

"Family is more important."

"Friends count for more than your family does!" Everyone gasped. Suki's bottom lip trembled and her eyes began to well up. Sokka realized the mistake in his wording.

"Uh oh," Ty Lee muttered.

"Suki, please..." Sokka tried to reach out to Suki, but she smacked his hands away. Something in Katara snapped at that. Her eye twitched.

"Don't touch me!" she snarled.

"I'm so sorry-"

"STAY AWAY FROM ME!" Suki took out her fans and used them to beat Sokka. After a few hits, she kicked his gut. He flew back into the wall. He had a black eye and a bleeding lip. Katara wanted Suki gone.

"I'll take her home," she volunteered suddenly. "You know, so that she doesn't get hurt."

"Good idea," Ty Lee said. "I'll help her pack."

"I'll get Appa ready," Katara said. She stood up and walked away. She grinned at Zuko and winked when Aang wasn't looking. When he was, she kissed his cheek and rubbed his bald head. She slipped out of the palace and walked outside to where Appa's barn was. She pet the sky bison and cooed at him.

"_RAHH!_" he moaned.

"You know where we're going," she said in a husky voice. Appa let out another moan. "Don't worry, I promise not to break any bones tonight- purposefully."

* * *

><p>"Gosh, the night is beautiful from up here," Suki breathed. "I had almost forgotten about the times we used to ride during the night. It was so long ago."<p>

"Tell me about it," Ty Lee said. "I remember that we were chasing after you the entire time!"

"And look at the moon," Katara said in a quiet tone. "It's full tonight. Such radiance."

"Of course it is," Suki said. She sighed. "Gosh, I don't remember ever seeing the full moon. Although I've heard a myth about the full moons."

"What would that be?" Ty Lee asked, giving Katara a pointed look.

"Something about the most powerful of all Waterbenders being able to gain more power at night and do bizarre things, like sucking all of the water from plants and turning them into nothing. Oh, the things I've heard about what Waterbenders can do. There was even something about a dead Waterbender who broke free from a Fire Nation prison by controlling the blood in their body."

"Huh," the other two girls said. They caught sight of the Boiling Rock and lowered themselves down to it. Ty Lee shook at the memory of being locked up here by her best friend, who was now residing there herself.

"Hey, I know this place," Suki stated. "Isn't this one of those old Fire Nation prisons?"

"Yes," Katara said. "Yes it is. I hope you like it too, because you're relocating here."

"What?" Suki began laughing. "That's hilarious!"

"We're not joking here."

"What?" Suki stood up as Appa lowered himself down towards the ground, careful to hover high enough so none of the prisoners could hold on to Appa's fur.

"Remember than old legend you were talking about?" Katara put her hand in front of her face vertically. Suki's limbs shook as she tried to move into a battle stance. She was suddenly forced into standing straight, unable to move a muscle. She stared at Katara, terror in her eyes.

"Y-you?" she whimpered.

"Yes. Me." Katara threw Suki off of the sky bison. She landed on her back on the concrete. She hollered out in pain. The very-well-paid guards readied their weapons as other prisoners limped out to witness what was going on. Mai and Azula looked up at Ty Lee in shock.

"How could you?" Azula shouted. "After all we've done for you!"

"Screw you!" Ty Lee spat.

"Appa! Yip-yip!" Katara grabbed his reigns and yanked on them. Appa let out a roar and flew upwards towards the sky. He headed back towards the Fire Palace. Katara and Ty Lee exchanged a devilish glance. They were in control of the world now. And they didn't know how drunk with power they were.


	9. The Next Bloodbenders

_He sits at the defendant's table, an evil grin spreading across his face. No one else could possibly know what he had done. His wife is at home with their unborn child. The real victim had put him on trial, but no solid evidence has been available. He could get away with anything. He turns to see Avatar Aang behind him, scowling. But he does not fear the Avatar. It was impossible for the Avatar to have the power he has. Even when it wasn't the full moon, he was superior over everyone in the entire world- except for his master. She had taught him everything that was important to live in the new world that Avatar Aang had created, including the Republic City, where he is currently being held on trial. He sees her sitting there, fiddling her thumbs, smiling underneath her dark brown hair, one hand resting on her proturding pregnant stomach, and the other one taking turns patting her other two kids' heads to keep them calm._

_He can feel the sensation running through his veins. The pain is intensifying. He tries his hardest not to yell out in pain. His hands are contorting into weird positions. He cannot feel any control over anything that he is doing. He turns to see Avatar Aang sucking the power out of him. Now it's the Avatar's turn to grin at him as he loses all of his Waterbending abilities, and his Bloodbending power. His master had a shocked look on her face as her husband did so. She covered her kids' eyes so they couldn't witness their father's horrible actions. After a minute, he could finally move again. The judge points his gavel at Avatar Aang to speak up. Avatar Aang stands to give his opinion about the trial._

_"If you allow Yakone to demonstrate, I can assure you that this man is not in any way, shape, or form a harm to Republic City or the rest of the world," Aang states. "Please allow him to show you." Aang places a cup of water in front of Yakone._

_"Go on," the judge approves. Yakone tries his hardest to make the water shoot out of the cup and charge Avatar Aang, but it doesn't budge a drop. He gives up many moments later. He is powerless. He is defeated. And it's all because of the Avatar._

_"Do you see, your Honor?" Aang asks. "This man is very harmless to everyone. He is being wrongfully placed on trial. He is an innocent man."_

_"Thank you for clearing this case up," the judge says. He dismisses the court after punishing the prosecutor. Avatar Aang takes his kids away. The only ones left are Yakone, his son, and his master._

_"Master, I assure you, these were not my intentions," Yakone says, bowing for her. "I meant no harm."_

_"It's all fine, Yakone," his master assures him. "I'm sorry that Aang has taken away your ability to Waterbend."_

_"It's very saddening," Yakone sighs. "I cannot train my son now."_

_"That is why he will be trained by the best Bloodbender in the world," she says. She puts her hand on the son's dark hair, ruffling it around. "By the time the next Avatar comes, he will be more powerful than she will ever dream of, won't you, Tarrlok?" Tarrlok nods and beams. Yakone smiles and bows again._

_"Thank you," he says, "Master Katara."_

* * *

><p>Katara sits in her washing basin, letting the hot water flow around her. She closes her eyes and enjoys its warmth. The steam rose to the ceiling, along with all of her stress. Ty Lee was heading to the Boiling Rock drop off some type of food to the abused prisoners. Sokka was mourning the disappearance of Suki with the rest of the Kiyoshi Warriors. Zuko had decided to see Iroh as a surprise in Ba Sing Se. She can hear the door open and knows who is in the room with her- Aang.<p>

"I need to ask you a favor," he says.

"What is it?" Katara replies. She doesn't think that he can possibly suspect anything that she has been doing.

"I've been trying my hardest to master the elements that I'm not very familiar with," Aang begins. "Toph has shown me many tricky Earthbending methods, and Zuko has taught me Firebending prodigy moves most have never even heard of. I want to excel in my Waterbending as well, and there's only one Waterbender who I can trust to do so for me."

"Oh," Katara breathes. "I'm flattered, but I'm sure that you can learn so much more from other Waterbenders. There are many of them at the North Pole who can show you better Waterbending moves and stronger healing powers."

"Yes, but they don't have the ability to Bloodbend."

"What?" Katara sits up, her arms crossing over her chest. Why does Aang want to learn how to Bloodbend? Does he think that she's been using it and trying to overpower her? Katara's mind was racing, trying to find the perfect explanation for Aang's proposition. But he is too innocent, too naïve to think of using it for any horrid reason.

"The next full moon is coming up soon," Aang continues. "We can try our first practice then. Please." He places one hand on Katara's shoulder. She knew this is want Aang wanted most. She smiled and put her hand overtop of his, careful to keep herself covered from him.

"I will train you to become a Bloodbender," Katara promises. Aang smiles and hugs her. She smiles and hugs him too, not caring that he was rubbing up against her bare breasts.

"Oh, I'm sorry," Aang says quickly. He pulls away and shields his eyes from Katara. Two years ago, her reaction would've been the same. But now, they were sixteen and fourteen. It didn't seem to bother her anymore.

"It's alright to look, Aang," she says, smiling. "We've known each other for years now. You can look."

"Alright." Aang slowly moves his hand down, his eyes wide. "Whoa."

"I know," Katara giggles. "If we're ever going to be together, we need to be comfortable around each other. Do you want to join me in here?" She tucks her legs up to her chest.

"Um, sure." Aang strips down and slowly enters the basin, slightly shaky and covering himself until the water is concealing him. Katara smiles at the nervous boy.

"Just wait," she says. "One day, we're going to laugh about this."

"And one day, we'll be together," Aang says. "Forever."

"Yes, forever. And nothing will ever change that."


	10. Unrequitted Love

Katara watches from her bedroom window as Aang struggles to try Bloodbending. She suggested to him that he tries on trees and plants before anything else. His face turns red as he tries to drain the life out of a nearby cherry blossom tree. Of course, he fails. Katara doesn't expect anything more from him. He's too kind and gentle on nature, and Bloodbending is very violent and unnatural. He may be able to bend all four elements, but Bloodbending? He will never be able to until he turns into a monster like she had. She watches Sokka limp past Aang. He has been searching constantly for Suki without any success. He will never suspect that she is still at the Boiling Rock, incapable of escaping without boiling to death first, and her pregnancy will keep her off of her feet for a bit. She sees Sokka slither inside. A few moments later, the door creaks open behind her.

"Any luck with Suki?" she asks.

"We need to talk about something like that," Zuko's voice responds. Katara jumps, but she remains calm as the Fire Lord enters the room. He quietly shuts the door behind him. Katara grins and crawls onto her bed. She lies down, toying with the silk covering her body to tease him. He gawks for a few moments.

"Anything else?" Katara asks seductively.

"I've been having these dreams," he continues. Her eyes widen and her mouth curls into a sly smirk.

"I may be able to help out with those dreams if you want," she purrs. Zuko sits on the edge of the bed with his back to Katara. She senses that he doesn't want what she thought he wants. She slides up beside him and put and arm around his shoulders.

"I've been having nightmares about my family," he begins.

"Your mother again?"

"No, my father and sister." Katara cocks her head to the side.

"The nightmares where they hurt you?" she asks. She remembers waking up to Zuko's screams from the day his father had banished him, branding him with an everlasting scar. He shakes his head.

"I saw them... trapped at the Boiling Rock," he says. "And so was Mai. And Suki. It doesn't make any sense to me. I don't think that my family is in any kind of danger. Or my friends. But what if one of you guys are next?" Zuko takes Katara's hands in his. "I don't want to lose you." She blushes.

"Trust me, I won't let anyone take me away from here," she promises. She leans in and kisses Zuko softly on the lips. She pulls away and looks out the window. She doesn't see Aang. She hears Aang and Sokka talking outside the room. "Quick!" she hisses to Zuko. She opens the window and Zuko dives out of it. He turns and kisses Katara again hungrily before ducking just as Aang opens the bedroom door.

"Hey, Katara!" he chirps.

"Hello, Aang," Katara replies. She feels his arms go around her waist.

"What'cha looking at?"

"Just watching the sunset. It's glorious, don't you think?"

"I'm not sure if I can do this," Aang spits out. "It's too hard for me to be a Bloodbender. Maybe I'm just not cut out for this, you know?"

"I didn't expect you to be capable of this," Katara admits. "You're too sweet and innocent for this. You can't hurt anyone. Bloodbending is very painful too. Maybe it's best that you don't."

"But I want to!" Aang whines.

"That's your probelm to figure out. After all, you're the Avatar."

* * *

><p>Ty Lee looks at her reflection in the full-length mirror. It's hard for her to get a clear reflection thanks to the shards of glass missing from being hit with something she isn't sure of. Her brown eyes were many shades brighter thanks to green eyeshadow and thick layers of black mascara. Her lips were deep red from the lip paint she stole from one of the Kiyoshi warriors. When Katara wasn't paying attention, she had stolen the wraps that were worn when Katara seduced Zuko. She is wearing them in the same style, but they aren't intended to catch the attention of the Fire Lord, but a certain non-Bender from the Southern Water Tribe. She puts a robe over her lack of clothing and scurries toward his bed chamber. She hesitates and undoes her long trademark braid. Her brown hair cascades past her hips in thin brown waves certain to get any boy's attention. She knocks on the door and smiles.<p>

"Who's there?" Sokka's muffled voice asks from the other side of the door.

"It's Ty Lee," she answers, giggling. "May I come in?"

"Sure." Ty Lee's heart skips a beat and she does a tiny jump. She opens the door and walks in. Sokka is still fully clothed and sitting on his bed, polishing his space sword that he had retrieved after Sozin's Comet passed over the Earth.

"Is there anything I can help you with?" he asks.

"There's something we can both do for each other," she cooes. She slides the door shut. She inches closer to Sokka, toying with the knot on her robe. Once she reaches the bed, she pulls both ends of the robe and unties the knot. He stares at the white wraps is awe. He then shakes his head and looks up at Ty Lee with an exasperated look.

"This is awkward," he states. Ty Lee sits on the bed Indian-style, leaving what's revealled or not to his imagination.

"How so?" she giggles. "We're both alone and looking for someone to love. How can that be considered awkward?"

"I'm nearly nineteen, and you're only sixteen," he snaps angrily. "And my girlfriend is pregnant with my child."

"Where is your girlfriend?" Ty Lee asks bitterly. "She ran away to Kiyoshi Island and said that she didn't want anything to do with you ever again. Look what happened. You need to move on to someone who'd always be there for you..." She runs her finger up and down his chest. He doesn't react for a minute, rethinking the possiblities. But he pushes her off of the bed.

"No," he says. "Get out of my room."

"But Sokka-"

"OUT!" Ty Lee jumps to her feet and flees the room. She went right to her room and somersaults onto her bed. She is terrified from Sokka's reaction, but she's fearing Katara's reactino more. After what happened when Suki hit Sokka's hand, what will she say to her trying to seduce him?


	11. Iroh

The breakfast table the following morning was very silent among the gang. The servants were on their toes, weary of a possible blow out between anyone of the people. Zuko sits at the head of the table, as usual, and whenever he has the chance, he shares a loving glance with Katara. Katara plays footsies with Aang underneath of the table and assures him that he'll make the right decision about Bloodbending. Aang tries coaxing Sokka about Suki. Sokka refuses to acknowledge Ty Lee after what happened the night before. Ty Lee and Katara would occasionally giggle as they talk about casual things- shopping, bending, beauty, et cetera. Appa continuously moans from outside to remind the group to pay attention to him. Momo flies around the table and steals food from unsuspecting people when they aren't looking. But other than the animals, not a sound is made.

"I need to talk to you," Iroh announces as he walks into the room. Zuko stands up almost immediately.

"Uncle Iroh, what are you doing here?" the young Fire Lord asks. "Not that I don't enjoy your visits."

"It's always great to see you too, nephew," his uncle replies, letting out a few hearty laughs. He then stops and his face becomes solemn. "We need to discuss those who've disappeared." Katara and Ty Lee share a look.

"Like Azula?" Zuko asks. Iroh nods.

"What about them?" Aang asks.

"It is wildly believed to be Hama, the only Bloodbender in the world, who was taking them," Iroh begins. Katara pretends that the three boys were staring at her. "And now, it should end, because she was caught and stoned."

"What?" Ty Lee asks. Katara begins feeling dizzy.

"Have they found my sister or father?" Zuko asks.

"No, I'm afraid not, but I'm going to gather the best warriors from across the four nations to help recapture them. They're still considered the most dangerous people in the world after everything. And then we'll go from there."

"We want to help," Katara and Ty Lee pipe up almost immediately.

"Are you sure?" Iroh asks with concern. "This isn't going to be a safe mission."

"We can get the Kiyoshi warriors," Ty Lee suggests, ignoring the way that Sokka cringes.

"And my father should be willing to help out as well," Katara adds.

"I think you should take them," Sokka says. "I need someone to check up on Suki."

"I heard about the pregnancy," Iroh says. "Congratulations, Sokka. You will make an excellent father. And as for you two girls, I need you to come now. With Azula on the loose, we could all be in great danger."

* * *

><p>Katara guides Appa over the sea slowly. As far as Iroh is concerned, they were heading to the Southern Water Tribe. But both Katara and Ty Lee knew that they aren't going anywhere near there.<p>

"I'm so grateful that you girls are here, helping out with this," Iroh says. "I don't think I could've done this without you."

"Oh, no, Iroh, you're helping us out," Ty Lee giggles.

"What do you mean?"

"Because you told us that Hama is the one punished for the disappearances," Katara says gravely. Iroh squints his eyes and stands up.

"I only said that because even though she was stoned, I know that it was you Katara." Katara doesn't budge. She had a feeling when they left the Fire Nation palace that Iroh had been onto her. Now she is certain.

"Why haven't you done anything about it yet?" she tests him.

"Because I want to help you," Iroh answers. "I want you to empty yourself of this evil spirit within you and become the good Water Tribe girl I know you are." He tries to walk to Katara, but Ty Lee suddenly uses chi-blocking to disable his abitily to move.

"You're a threat to me," Katara says blankly. "And I know how to fix that." Ty Lee walks to the head of Appa and takes the reigns. Katara walks up behind Iroh and moves him into a sitting position. She puts one hand on the back of his head and the other on his forehead and concentrates. Iroh is motionless, his eyes widening in fear as he feels a weird sensation travelling through his body. He then collapses.

"What did you do?" Ty Lee asks.

"I took away his bending," the Bloodbender answers, an evil smile growing on her face. "And now he's no longer a threat. Now he can stay on the Boiling Rock and stay out of the way."

Ty Lee nods. It is scary to her, Katara's newfound power and the effect it could possibly have on her. "Good."


	12. Revelations

Katara walks across the ice and snow she grew up to love. The familiar crunch underneath of her shoes. The inviting cold air. Unique snowflakes dancing before her eyes, daring her to stick out tongue and catch them. It's better than the dirty black snow that warned them of the Fire Nation's arrival when she was a child- when they killed her mother. Katara shudders and shakes off the feeling. Her father is with Zuko, searching the Earth Kingdom for Iroh. Katara and Ty Lee had come back from the Boiling Rock with tattered and burnt clothing- all thanks to a torch- and cried that Iroh was kidnapped by the Fire Nation and that the two girls were attacked as well. Zuko gathered the best of the best, such as her father, to go with him, Aang, and Sokka to search for the ex-general. Ty Lee decided to stay at the palace; she isn't very tolerable when she's in below freezing temperatures, and frankly, the Waterbender doesn't want to put up with her today. Katara walks past all of the igloos up to the very last one. She knocks on the door gently. She is greeted by a boy roughly her age, with a chisel face, dark skin, piercing blue eyes, and an overall innocent look. It's a look that Katara knows is going to change.

"Can I help you?" he asks.

"My name is Katara," she greets him. "I need to tell you something very important about your future, Yakone."

"Then please, by all means, come in," Yakone says, unsure of how she knows his name already. "Would you like anything to drink?"

"No, thank you." Katara enters the igloo and sits on a nearby bench. "Is anyone else here?"

"No, it's just me."

"Good. Have a seat Yakone."

"How do you know my name?" Yakone sits next to Katara.

"I had a dream about the future. A few of them, actually, that all add up to a huge conclusion. You were in it, and so was I. And your sons. And the Avatar."

"I get to meet the Avatar?" Yakone's eyes sparkle. It was a dream to meet face-to-face with the Avatar for someone in the Southern Water Tribe. Katara frowns.

"You're going to be put on trial, and the Avatar is going to take away your Waterbending forever," she says. Now Yakone frowns.

"Why?" he asks. "What will I do?"

"Bloodbend."

"Wait, isn't that what that lady Hama was stoned for?"

"Yes, but that's because it isn't illegal yet. And she is a monster."

"Wait, wait, how do you know any of this?"

Katara sighs. She needs to tell him the whole truth. "I am a Bloodbender as well. And you are the next Bloodbender- a prophecy- and your sons will be Bloodbenders as well." The boy paled.

"I... uh... is that a bad thing." Katara stares at the ground and bites her lip.

"Yes, it is, but only if you use it for evil."

"So there's a nice way to Bloodbend?"

Another pause. "No. But you will become legendary, and so will your sons."

"How is it possible to Bloodbend?" Yakone stands up. "I'm not even sure if it's logical! You have no proof of being a Bloodbender!" Katara frowns again. She decides to prove him wrong. She puts her hand in a vertical position in front of her face and stares right at Yakone. His body shakes violently before straightening vertically. She swats her hand up, and his body crashes into the ceiling. She swats down and watches him fall onto the ice. He cringes in pain.

"Blood is water," she says. "Therefore, you can bend it. And when you're strong enough, you don't need a full moon as a resource."

"I believe you!" Yakone gasps. Katara grins and frees him from her grasp. He hacks violently and slowly rises to his feet.

"So," she says, "I'm ready to teach you the ways of a Bloodbender. Are you?"

* * *

><p>Ty Lee sits calmly as one of the maids braids her glorious hair. She's bouncy and perky today with Katara away. Katara was her best friend, but after what she tried to do to Sokka, she is terrified of what Katara might do to her when she discovers the truth. But now, she is living in the moment and enjoying herself. Once the maid finishes the braid and leaves, Ty Lee jumps out her window and starts doing cartwheels outside. She does a few somersaults when Appa lands on the ground. Aang, Sokka, and Zuko slide down the side of the Sky Bison and shake their heads.<p>

"It just doesn't make sense," Zuko says.

"What doesn't make sense?" Ty Lee asks as she starts doing aerials.

"We were searching around everywhere, and Appa flew over the Boiling Rock three times. It's like he thinks Iroh is there."

"But we shut down the Boiling Rock after the end of the war," Aang states.

"That's what throws me off."

"Do you know anything about that, Ty Lee?" Sokka asks, raising an eyebrow. Ty Lee stops doing her tricks and shrugs sheepishly.

"You know, you and Katara have been acting weird lately," Zuko begins.

"You can say that again," Aang mutters. Zuko ignores the comment and moves closer to Ty Lee. She steps back until she's stuck between the Fire Lord and the palace wall.

"She has to know!" Sokka exclaims. "The two of them are buddy-buddy now. And when we went to visit Suki, the girls said they hadn't seen her since she came back to the palace! Explain that!" Ty Lee's face begins to crinkle before she breaks down.

"Katara has been using Bloodbending to control people like Azula and Suki and trapping them on the Boiling Rock because she thinks they've all wronged her!" Ty Lee confesses. "I would stop her but she'll put me with them! She's in the Southern Water Tribe searching for the next Bloodbender!" She gasps and covers her mouth with her hands. The three boys' eyes are wide.

"Oh my gosh," Sokka says. "My baby sister is a monster."

"We need to get to the Southern Water Tribe before it's too late!" Zuko barks.

"What about Ty Lee?" Aang asks.

"She can't stop us. Hurry!" The three boys climb back onto the Sky Bison and fly towards the South Pole while Ty Lee curls up in a ball and cries. Now she's really dead.


	13. An End And A New Beginning

Katara watches Yakone stand by a lone wolf that ventured far away from his pack. The boy looks too nervous to do anything. He looks to Katara, who nods to show that she believes in him. He gulps and moves his hand up. The wolf yelps as it lifts six inches off of the ground. Yakone gasps and smiles. He lets the wolf go, and it runs back to wherever it came from.

"Did you see that?" he asks Katara. "I Bloodbended!"

"I'm proud of you Yakone," the master replies, smiling. "But I think it's time for you to go now."

"Why?" her student asks.

"Because the Avatar is coming, and unless you want to lose your bending ability, I suggest that you go home." Yakone takes the hint and runs. Katara sits in the snow patiently, her eyes shut, taking deep breaths. She hears the familiar sound of Appa and knows that Aang is here to stop her. She smiles and evil smile. She wasn't the innocent little girl she left this place as long ago. She was diabolical, manipulative, and, dare she say, more powerful than Aang. She feels the animal land and hears the footsteps of her friends landing in the snow.

_Let the games begins_, she thinks as her eyes open.

"Katara!" Sokka cries. "What are you doing here?"

"I was waiting for you," she answers her brother. "Why?"

"Because Ty Lee told us everything. Katara, you can't do this! You have to stop."

"Why? What are you going to do about it?"

"I know that you can't do anything during the full moon," Aang says strongly. Katara raises an eyebrow in amusement. Aang takes a deep breath and looks remoarseful. "I'm sorry for this Katara." He shoots a ball of fire at her. Katara dodges from it and shoots snow at the Avatar in return. For a long time, the two battle with fire and snow until Aang's limbs start shaking and he freezes in his position. His body jolts up, hovering off of the ground. Then Sokka's does as well. They both watch Katara in horror as she moves them closer together. She holds them that way until she takes a rope from her coat pocket and ties it around the two tightly.

"That's impossible!" Zuko gasps. "It's not the full moon!"

"I don't need the full moon," Katara answers, cackling wildly. She turns to Zuko and caresses his face. "Run away with me."

"What?" Zuko asks.

"What!" Aang exclaims.

"I'm sorry you have to find out this way Aang, but... I love Zuko," Katara admits. To prove herself, she grabs Zuko and forces her lips onto his. Their tongues dance before Aang and Sokka, stunning them.

"Mmmph!" Zuko pushes her off. "No! I can't do this anymore! Not if you're doing this to everyone." He backs away and shoots flames at her. She smothers the fire with snow and holds her hand down low. Zuko's body folds onto the ground, and he struggles to free himself. Aang and Sokka squirm, but Katara begins to control them too.

"I've got Azula," she shouts. "I've got Ozai. I've got Yon Rha. The Dai Li. Suki. Iroh. Mai. They're all under _my control_, and so will you!" Suddenly, she feels something jabbing her, and her body goes limp as she crashes into the snow face first. She gasps as two hands pick her up and move her into a sitting position. _Ty Lee_.

"No," she says strongly. "Not again. No more. You're done."

"Ty Lee!" Zuko cries. "But how'd you-?"

"I found an eel hound and rode it here as fast as I could," Ty Lee says. "And I'm here to take her away and rescue you!"

"What? Where are you taking me?" Katara gasps. She watches Ty Lee untie Aang and Sokka. The three boys use the rope to tie up Katara.

"I think she needs to go to the Boiling Rock for a little bit," Aang admits. "Until she's stable enough to be exposed to the real world again." The others nod in agreement. The boys put her on Appa's back while Ty Lee mounts on her eel hound again.

"You can't do this to me!" Katara cries.

"I'm sorry, but you brought this upon yourself," Zuko states coolly. "It's no one's fault but your own."

* * *

><p>The Sky Bison flies off to the infamous Fire Nation prison to save his friends and drop off a new enemy. The eel hound races after it, the girl on its back doing a handstand with one arm casually. And on the shoreline, his feet dangling off of the edge of the ice, a teenage Waterbender watches, grinning, ready to continue his master's legacy.<p> 


End file.
